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Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is proud to serve a diverse student population that includes approximately 40,000 students with disabilities.
The Office of Educational Services and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) relies on a veritable army of certified teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals to ensure that all students with disabilities receive the high-quality education, supports and services they need and deserve.
“Years ago, ESE students were pulled out of the classroom for a part of the day to receive their services,” remembers Annette Vega, ESE teacher at Olympia Heights Elementary for 29 years. “But they are not singled out now; it’s more natural, the services come to them.”
Students with disabilities have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that specifically outlines the supports and services they need to access their education.
Approximately 73 percent of the students with disabilities in attendance at M-DCPS receive their education in a general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers. The role of the ESE teacher in this instance is to join the students in their regularly scheduled classroom and provide them with the services that they need to be successful.
All students benefit from the inclusive classroom. General education students have opportunities to take on a leadership role and providing their friends a little extra assistance to finish a problem or find the right page in their book. Vega has watched many students grow from their kindergarten year to grade 5.
“It’s very rewarding when you see students learning”, adds Vega. “A light bulb clicks and they participate in class; they are eager to find the answers. They are now sure of themselves.”
Although the goal is always to include students with disabilities in the general education classroom, or “least restrictive” setting, for some students, another classroom environment may be required. An example would be the classroom of Karla Sanchez, a proud teacher of students with intellectual disabilities at Olympia Heights Elementary.
Her classroom centers around structure, routine, and explicit instruction. Sanchez provides her students with intellectual disabilities the scaffolding they need to meet their learning goals.
“Tiny steps can make a big difference,” notes Sanchez who uses visual supports, provides information in smaller chunks, and uses concrete manipulatives to help her students grasp what she is teaching. “The best part is when I see kids learning more and growing.”
Elizabeth Calderon also teaches in a classroom specialized for students who have an intellectual disability at Riviera Middle School. She has been a special education teacher for 24 years and points out the importance of not only teaching her students academic skills such as knowledge of number sense, time, and reading skills, but also the importance of teaching them the independent living skills they need so that they can reach their full potential across all settings of life.
“We have an area that looks like a house. For one of our electives, we visit the room and practice life skills such as making the bed and sweeping the floor, and we go on community outings with them,” explains Calderon. “Tasks such as these prepare them for all aspects of their life, at both home and school.”
There are a wide range of services that students with disabilities receive at M-DCPS between the general education environment and the specialized environments described above. Eligible students receive speech and/or language services, occupational therapy, and/or physical therapy. It is important to note, too, that students may just have one or two classes in a special education classroom and spend the rest of their time in the general education setting. It really is dependent upon their need, hence the term “Individualized Education Plan.”
Parents who think their child may need help should reach out to their Miami-Dade Public Schools’ principal to express their concerns and work together on an action plan to support their child and to determine whether exceptional student education services are appropriate. Giving students with disabilities the tools they need to be successful and seeing them thrive is another example of why M-DCPS is your best choice.
Reagan L. Chalmers is District Director, Exceptional Student Education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and Alina Rodriguez is Executive Director, Exceptional Student Education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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